Floor-cleaning machine.



E. J. STEWART.

FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULYIS. 1912. RENEWED OCT. 27, 1913.

1,128,384. Patented; Feb. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

I K\a7 E. J. STEWART.

. FLOOR CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18. 1912v RENEWED 0.0T. 27, 1913.

1,128,384. Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHDH WASHINGTON. D. C.

EMMOR J. STEWART, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLOOR-CLEANING MACHINE.

iaaaesa.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb. 16 1915 Application filed July 18, 1912, Serial No. 710,166. Renewed October 27, 1913; Serial No. 797,650.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMMOR J. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Floor- Clcaning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present improvements relates more particularly to floor cleaning apparatus of the class shown in Letters Patent No. 853,525, issued to me May 14th, 1907, in which an electrically driven scrubbing brush is rotated in a direction opposed to that of the line of travel, which latter may be reversed without turning the apparatus; although certain features of the invention are applicable to floor cleaners generally.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts described and water tank; the means of regulating the supply of water to the brush; and other incidental details, all as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings for convenience of illustration, the device is shown mainly in the vertical or medial position, it being understood that in actual use it is inclined in either direction as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1, in order to bring it into operative contact with the floor. lVith this understanding, Fig. 1, is an elevation of one end, and Fig. 2, a similar view of the other end of the apparatus; Fig. 3, is a side elevation, partly broken away and partly in section; Fig. 4,. is a central vertical sectional elevation taken upon plane of line M, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, is a sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 55, Fig. 3; Fig. 6, is a detail view showing one set of bearing roller bars; Fig. 7 a sectional elevation, upon an 1 enlarged scale, of the water feed valve and connections, and the thrust mechanism; Fig. 8, a sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 88, Fig. 7 Fig. 9, is a detail view of the water valve controlling hand lever; Fig.

10, is a sectional elevation taken upon plane of line 10-10, Fig. 3.

Mounted on stub shafts on the lower ends of the lever members a, a), are traction wheels a, a, on which said members a, (1*, are virtually fulcrumed,they being united at or near their other extremities by a cross bar or handle a Mounted upon and between the lever members a, a is the brush shaft 6, sufficiently above the fulcrum wheels a, a, to raise the brush B, from contact with the floor when the lever members a, a are held in a vertical position as shown in the drawings, but also so positioned as to allow the brush to contact with the floor when said lever members are inclined in either direction until bearing rollers 0, 0, rest upon the floor,as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Hence,obviously the hearing rollers c, 0, limit the extent of contact of the brush with the floor, and for this reason I make them adjustable upon and with relation to the lever members a, a by suitable means. In the construction shown, the bearing rollers 0, o, are mounted on stub shafts on the outer ends of rack bars 0, c, slidably supported in transverse ways a (4 upon the lever members a, a ,the inner ends of said bars 0, a, being formed with rack teeth which engage with pinions 0 0 (one of them shown in Fig. 6) on the ends of a shaft 0 which latter also carries an intermediate worm gear 0 (see Fig. 4) engaging with a worm 0 on the key shaft 0 which latter may be rotated in either direction (by means of a suitable key or likeinstrument) to cause the advance or retraction of the bearing rollers c, c, as may be found expedient in adapting the brush to the work to be done, compensating for wear, &c

The brush shaft 6, is rotated in either direction by means of an electric motor M, through the medium of miter gearing, as will be understood by reference more particularly to Fig. 3. The motor is supported upon angle iron girders a (4*, extending between the transverse ways a a and its armature shaft carries a miter gear m, which meshes with a like miter gear 471/, on the upper end of the shaft m which is mounted in bearings on the inner side of the lever member a", on that side of the apparatus,the lower end of said shaft m carrying a pinion m which meshes with the driving gear I), on the brush shaft 6.

Electrical energy is supplied to the motor M, through a flexible electric cable m extending from a supply or cut off switch m on one of the lever members a said cut off switch being connected with a cable m, of suitable length communicating with an electric circuit in a manner Well known. The motor terminal connections of the cable m*, are shown symbolically in Fig. 4, they being mounted and inclosed in a terminal box at, secured to the lever member a (see Fig. 2). The reversal of motion of the motor is effected automatically whenever the lever members a, a are swung from one side of the apparatus to the other to change the direc tion of travel, by means of a switch arm m (see Fig. 4C), mounted on a short rock shaft m", which is journaled in and projects through the lever member 0?,said rock shaft 102, having attached to its outer end a cross head m to which are pivotally connected tripping rods m the lower ends of which pass through swivel bearings 03, fulcrumed in one end member d, of the truck frame on opposite sides of the center thereof. The ends of said tripping rods m, are threaded and carry lock nuts m between which and the swivel bearings cl,

are interposed coiled springs on, which tend constantly to rock the shaft m", in opposite directions, but which when the lever members a, a*, are held vertically, balance each other, and hold the switch arm m in the intermediate position, as will be understood by reference to Figs. 2, 4: and 10, thus disconnecting the motor M, temporarily, while the lever members a, a), are being turned from one side to the other, and reversing the current in the motor whenever the said lever members are thus fully reversed in position. The electric connections are such that the motor is made to rotate the brush shaft 6, and brush B, in a direction opposed to the line of travel. That is to say the direction of rotation of the brush B, is the reverse of that of the traction wheels at, and bearing wheels 0, 0, the peripheries of which roll along the floor, whereas the periphery of the-brush works against the floor surface, tending to reverse the direction of travel, which tendency is overcome by pressure exerted by the person pushing the apparatus.

The end members d, 03*, of a dirt receptacle supporting frame are suspended upon the brush shaft Z), and are united integrally by transverse bracing rods 6?, d rigidly attached to and between their outer extremities. Extending between and supported upon these end members (Z, cZ of the frame, are the sprinkler pipes e, e, positioned one on each side of the brush B, to which they alternately supply water, according to the direction of inclination of the lever members a, a ,each sprinkler pipe 6, 0, being connected by a duct 6, 6', with a two-way cut-off valve 6 communicating with a water flow needle valve 7, which is controlled manually through the medium of a valve rod 7, and hand lever 7.

As the water control is preferably arranged axially with relation to the brush, I accomplish this in the construction shown in the drawings by forming the casing 6*, of the two-way cut off valve 6 (see Figs. 7 and 8) as a continuation of the brush shaft 6, which at this end is seated on an extension 6 of the said valve casing e", which in turn is seated in the lever member a, and carries the end member (V, of the supporting frame to which it is rigidly secured by a set screw (25 The needle valve 7, is rigidly attached to the outer side of the lever member a, and is provided with a tubular extension f which forms the outlet for said supply valve 7, said discharge extension f being formed with ports 7, f, (Fig. 8) which communicate alternately with the conduits e, e, as the lever members a, aare shifted from side to side, thereby supplying the sprinkler pipes e, c, alternately, according to the direction of travel of the apparatus.

The needle valve f, is supplied with water from the tank T, through the medium of the conduits t, t, communicating with oppo- "site sides of said tank, so that the lowest side thereof will always be in communication with the valve 7, when the lever members a, (4*, are tilted in either direction, the tank being supported on the ways a a and transverse angle iron girders a, 01- and being formed with a compartment t, in which the motor M, and connections are housed and inclosed on all sides except at one end, i. 6., the end shown in Fig. 2, on which the electric switching mechanism is positioned. The upper side of the tank T, is also formed with a funnel 25 preferably provided with a strainer 25 through which water is supplied to the tank T.

The valve rod f, extends upward along the lever member a, to approximately the top thereof, passing through guides 03 a, a a and a", on said member a. A spring 7, is interposed between a collar 7, (Fig. 1) on the valve rod 7, and the guide a, and tends constantly to close the valve. The valve is opened more or less against the resistance of the spring 7, by means of the hand lever f hereinbefore referred to. This hand lever 7, is fulcrumed at a, in the lever member at, its short arm f, rests under a collar f, on the valve rod f. Its long arm extends through a slot a, in the crossbar or handle a and between seg ments at, and a attached thereto. Said long arm also carries rigidly attached thereto a fiat metal spring f*, the ends of which bear against the inner side of the segment a, and forces a pawl upon the reverse side of the long arm of the lever against the serrated inner surface of the other segment a, in such manner that the valve rod may be held raised more or less against the resistance of the spring 7, in a manner well known in the arts,or other suitable or well known mechanical expedients may be substituted for the purpose of regulating and controlling the needle valve 7, manually to regulate the flow of water to the brush.

Dust receptacles s, s, are detachably supported on ways or rests (Z (F, on the inner sides of the end members (Z, (Z*, of the truck, as will be understood more particularly by reference to Fig. 4, by which it will be seen that the opposed edges of the said receptacle overlap, and that the inner sides of the receptacles are formed with aprons s, 5, mainly concentric to the brush. The sides of the sprinkler e, e, opposed to the brush are also preferably made concentric thereto, and the splash aprons s, s, are recessed to receive the convex sides of the sprinkling pipes 6, so that a practically continuous concentric surface is opposed to the periphery of the brush, and hence the splash therefrom will be deflected along lines of least resistance into the receiving compartment back of each splash apron s.

The lower edge of each splash apron s, s, is provided with an elastic resilient scraper 8 for contacting with the fioor surface, and

diverting the moisture, &c., upward into the receiving compartment,it being remembered in this connection that the reversed motion of the brush tends to drive the moisture, &c., upward against and over said scraper and apron, which tendency is further augmented by the forward movement of the apparatus. i

The supporting frame is slightly but positively tilted to one side or the other after the lever members a, (14*, pass the vertical position, by the thrust spring h, interposed between a knuckle a, on the inner side of the lever member a, and a knuckle on the suspending loop of the end member 0?, of the truck, as shown more particularly in Figs. 5, 7 and 8,the telescopic connection between said knuckles a, and (Z furnishing lateral support for said spring, while admitting of its expansion and contraction. The thrust of the spring h, is limited by the contacting of one or the other of the scrapers 8 with the floor surface, and insures the efficiency of the scraper in actual use.

In order to clean the floor in close proximitv to the skirting boards I extend the brush shaft 6, beyond the lever member a and mount thereon a detachable auxiliary brush B, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which case the sprinkler pipes e, e, are also extended outward to supply water to said auxiliary brush B. The latter is also provided with a splash hood i, which is supported upon the adjoining end member 03, of the frame. The strip of floor space intervening between the adjacent ends of the two brushes .B, B, may be cleaned by turning the apparatus completely around so that the opposite side thereof (on which the le ver'member a, is situated in the drawings) may be brought adjacent to the skirting board, thereby enabling the main brush B, to overlap and clean said intervening floor space. By this means practically the whole floorspace can be effectually scrubbed and cleaned by my apparatus with little or no necessity for supplemental treatment with mops or equivalent devices.

The automatic reversal of the motor when the lever members a, a are shifted from one side of the apparatus to the other to change the direction of travel, is an important factor in my present construction of apparatus, saving time and labor and insuring the positive action of the brush in the prescribed direction in opposition to the line of travel, so that the brush not only scrubs the floor surface but practically wipes it off also, since the brush precipitates the splash, 620., into the receiver which is. in front of it as related to the direction of travel. The inclosing of the motor within a special compartment in the water tank is also a distinctive and important practical advantage, in that the motor is isolated and protected, and danger of contact therewith, or with its connections, is avoided. The convenient regulation of the supply of water to the brushes, and the automatic shunting-thereof from one side of the brush to the other as the direction of travel is changed, adds materially to the, convenience and successfulness of the apparatus.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted upon said lever members, a motor mounted upon said lever members above said brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever members above the brush, means for conveying water from said tank to said brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of said brush, a dirtreceptacle mounted on said frame, and bearing rollers mounted on said lever members, for the purpose described.

2. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted upon said lever members, a motor mounted on said lever'members above said brush,

operative means connecting the motor and brush, a Water tank mounted on said lever members above the brush, a sprinkler communicating with said tank and arranged to supply water to said brush, a truck frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of said brush, a dirt receptacle mounted on said truck, bearing rollers mounted on said lever members, and means of adjusting said bearing rollers on said lever members, for the purpose described.

3. in apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted centrally upon and between said lever members, an electric motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, an electric terminal box mounted upon one of the lever members adjacent to the electric motor, operative means connecting the electric motor and the brush, a Water tank mounted on said lever members above and straddling said electric motor and terminal box, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinkler pipes on said frame extending longitudinally and parallel to said brush, one on each side thereof, ducts connecting said sprinkler pipes each with an opposite side of the water tank, a two-way valve controlling the flow of water to said sprinkler pipes, detachable dirt receptacles mounted on said frame, one on each side of the brusl and bearing rollers supported upon and extending on each side of the lever members, for the purpose described.

4. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mount ed on said lever members, a motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and the brush, a water tank mounted upon said lever members above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said truck frame, one on each side of the brush, means connectin said sprinklers with the said tank, detachable dirt receptacles mounted on said frame, one on each side of the brush, bearing rollers supported upon and extending on each side of the lever members, and means for adjusting said bearing rollers toward or from the lever members, for the purpose set forth.

5. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, a motor mounted upon said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever member above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of the brush, means connecting said sprinklers with the water tank, dirt receptacles mounted upon said frame one on each side of the brush, rack bars mounted in Ways on the said lever members, bearing rollers mounted on the outer ends of said rack bars, a shaft formed with end pinions engaging said rack bars, an intermediate gear on said pinion shaft, and a key shaft formed with a worm gear engaging said intermediate gear on the pinion shaft whereby the said bearing rollers may be simultaneously advanced or retracted, for the purpose set forth.

6. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, a motor mounted upon said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever member above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of the brush, means connecting said sprinklers with the Water tank, dirt receptacles mounted upon said frame one on each side of the brush, transverse ways, one on each of said lever members, oppositely projecting rack bars supported in each of said transverse ways, bearing rollers on the outer ends of said rack bars, a shaft formed with end pinions engaging the opposed teeth on the inner ends of said rack bars, an intermediate gear on said pinion shaft, and a key shaft formed with a worm gear engaging said intermediate gear on the pinion shaft, whereby the said bearing rollers may be simultaneously advanced or retracted in opposite directions, for the purpose described.

7. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, a motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting a motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever members and formed to straddle and inclose the motor, frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of the brush, conduits connecting said sprinklers with a twoway water cock on the frame, said two-way cock, means connecting the same with opposite sides of the water tank, dirt receptacles mounted upon said frame, one on each side of the brush, and bearing rollers mounted on said lever members and projecting on opposite sides thereof, for the purpose described.

8. In apparatus of'the character desighated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, an electric motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting said electric motor and brush, bearing rollers mounted upon said lever members and projecting upon both sides thereof, and means for automatically reversing the electric motor by the reversal of the said lever members, for the purpose described.

9. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted on said lever members and projecting on either side thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, an electric motor mounted upon said electric members above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever members above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame,

one on each side of the brush, means connecting said sprinklers with the water tank, and an electric switch controlling the operation of said motor and connected with the said frame, whereby, when the lever members are reversed in position the direction of rotation of the motor will be reversed, for the purpose described.

10. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted on said lever members and projecting on either side thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, a motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted on said lever members above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of said brush, means connecting said sprinklers with the water tank, and a thrust spring interposed between one of the lever members and the frame, whereby when the lever members are reversed in position the frame will be positively tripped to cause the forward scraper to contact with the floor, for the purpose set forth.

11. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted on said lever members and projecting on either side thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, an electric motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the said motor and brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, an

electric switch on one of the lever members controlling the action of said motor and connected with said frame, and a thrust spring interposed between one of the lever members and the truck frame, whereby when the levermembers are reversed in position the frame will be tripped and the motion of the motor will be positively reversed, for the purpose set forth.

12. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of the connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted on said lever members and proj ecting upon either side thereof, a rotatable brush mounted upon said lever members, a motor mounted upon, said lever members above the brush, operative'means connecting the said motor and brush, a Water tank mounted centrally upon said lever members above the brush, a frame pivotally supported with relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of the brush, conduits connecting said sprinklers with a two-way water cock, axially mounted with relation to the brush, said two-way-cock connected with both sides of the water tank, and a thrust spring interposed between one of the lever members and the frame, whereby when the lever members are reversed in position the frame will be tripped and the water supply transferred from one sprinkler to the other, for the purpose described.

13. In apparatus of the character designated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted upon the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted upon said lever members and projecting on both sides thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, a motor mounted upon said lever member's above the brush, operative means connecting the motor and brush, a water tank mounted centrally upon said lever members above the brush, a frame pivotally supported wit-h relation to the axis of the brush, sprinklers on said frame, one on each side of the brush, conduits connecting said sprinklers with a two-way cock axially mounted with relation to the brush, said two-way-cock connected with both sides of the water tank, dirt receivers on the truck frame, one on each side of the brush, aprons on said dirt receivers formed with floor scrapers, and a thrust spring interposed between one of the lever members and the frame, whereby when the lever members are reversed in position the truck frame will be tripped, the water supply transferred from one sprinkler t0 the other and contact with the floor changed from one nated, the combination of connected lever members, fulcrum wheels mounted on the lower ends thereof, bearing rollers mounted upon said lever members and projecting on both sides thereof, a rotatable brush mounted on said lever members, an electric motor mounted on said lever members above the brush, operative means connecting the electric motor and the brush, an electric reversing switch mounted on one lever member and arranged to control the electric motor, a frame pivotally mounted with relation to the axis of the brush, means connecting said reversing switch with said pivotally mounted frame, a Water tank mounted on said lever members above the brush, sprinklers on said truck frame, one on each side of the brush, conduits connecting said sprinklers with a lJWO-W2LY cock axially mounted with relation to the brush, said two-way cock connected with both sides of the water tank, dirt receivers on the frame, one on each side of the brush, aprons on said dirt receivers formed with floor scrapers, and a thrust spring interposed be tween one of the lever members and the frame, whereby when the lever members are reversed in position the truck frame will be tripped, automatically reversing the motor and brush, transferring the water supply from one sprinkler to the other, and floor contact from one scraper to the other, for the purpose described.

EMMOR J. STEWART.

Witnesses -RALPH HoLMns,

Mrs. E. J. STEWART.

Gopiee of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

